“pets are no help,” said his father. “all they do is...
TRANSCRIPT
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Ben had never had a pet. “Pets are no help,” said his father. “All they do is make a
mess.” “If I find a pet that is a help, may I keep it?” ask Ben. “Yes, said his father, “if it’s really a help.”
4
Ben began to make plans. “I might get that setter,” he said. “Setters don’t help,” said his father. “They track in dirt and
they yelp at people.” “Then I might get a cat,” said Ben. “Cats don’t help,” said his father. “They scratch things.
Besides, they’re lazy.” “Well,” said Ben, “I like fish.” “Fish don’t help,” said his father. “All they do is swim and eat.
You have to keep the water in the bowl clean. It’s a lot of work for nothing.”
5
Ben went into the pet shop. He spoke to its owner. “Do you have pets that help?” he asked. “Different pets help in different ways,” said the woman. “Rent
a pet and see. If it doesn’t help, you can bring it back and rent a different one.”.
“All right,” said Ben. “What’s that bird like?” “This bird can speak,” said the woman. “COME IN!” said the bird. “HAVE SOME CAKE! HAVE
SOME CAKE! HAVE SOME CAKE!” “It speaks very clearly,” said Ben. “I’ll rent it. Maybe I can
teach it to say other things too.”
6
The bird was glad to go home with Ben. It liked Ben’s living room and flew from one side to the other.
It flapped its wings and made a big breeze. Papers blew from the desk. “Please don’t make a mess,” said Ben. He grabbed all the
papers and returned them to the desk. “I’ll get something heavy,” said Ben, “and set it on the
papers. Then they won’t fly all over.”
7
As soon as Ben had left, the bird flew to the table. It began picking up shiny dimes and dropping them in Ben’s cap.
Then the bell rang. The girl who delivered their newspapers came in to give Ben’s mother a paper.
“This is odd,” Ben’s mother said. “I can’t find the money for the paper. I left it right here on this table.”
“Pay me next week,” said the girl. “Wait!” cried Ben, seeing the dimes in his cap. He ran after
the girl and paid her. Ben scolded the bird.
8
“No more tricks!” he said. “If you don’t behave yourself, my father will make me take you back to the pet shop. He’ll let me keep only a pet that will help. You aren’t helping.”
Ben’s mother carried something into the living room. “I baked this cake for your father’s birthday today,” she said. “COME IN!” said the bird very clearly. “HAVE SOME CAKE!
HAVE SOME CAKE! HAVE SOME CAKE! The window was open. Some children were nearby. They
were able to hear every word the bird said.
9
The children came into Ben’s house. They said, “Thank you. We’ll be glad to have some cake.”
They each had a piece of cake. They ate all the cake.
Then Ben’s father came home. The cake plate was empty. “I’m afraid that this bird is no help,” he said. “It gave away
my birthday cake!” “All right,” said Ben sadly. “I’ll take it back to the pet shop.”
10
On the way Ben and the bird stopped at the home of a retired woman.
“That’s a fine bird you have,” she said. “Yet you seem sad. Is something the matte?”
Ben said, “I’d like a pet. My father says that the pet has to help. So I tried this bird. It made a mess. It gave away my father’s birthday cake. I’m taking it back to the pet store.”
“That’s too bad,” she said. “I baked a cake today too. Have a slice. It may make you feel better.”
11
“COME IN!” said the bird clearly.” “HAVE SOME CAKE! HAVE SOME CAKE! HAVE SOME CAKE!”
Some children were nearby. They were able to hear the bird. They came in.
“Thank you,” they said. “We’ll be glad to have some cake.” The woman gave them each a piece of cake. They ate all
the cake. “This bird plays bad tricks,” said Ben. “I’m sorry they ate all
your cake.”
12
“That wasn’t a bad trick,” said the retired woman. “I liked it. I’m lonely, and I like to have children come in. This bird will be exactly right for me.”
She went to the pet shop with Ben to buy the bird for herself. After that, Ben went to see the bird every day. The retired
woman had plenty of cake ready. She liked to see Ben eat the cake and drink a glass of milk.
Even so, Ben was sad. “It’s not like having a pet of my own,” he said. “I think I’ll try another pet.”
13
He went back to the pet shop. “This monkey can hang by her tail,” said the owner. “She
can do fifty other tricks too.” Chattering happily, the monkey got onto a high shelf. It
began handing boxes of birdseed to Ben. “That’s a fine trick,” said Ben. “I’ll rent the monkey. She
might be able to help at home.”
14
The monkey was glad to go home with Ben. At Ben’s home, they went into the kitchen. The monkey got
onto a high shelf. She began handing all the boxes to Ben, one after another.
“No, no, no,” said Ben, “not those boxes.” Ben got a stepladder right away. He set the boxes back on
the shelf very fast. After he finished, his mother came in. “This pet is doing very well,” she said. “No mess yet, Ben.
The monkey may be the pet you are looking for. I hope she will be a help.”
15
The monkey sat on the stepladder as Ben ran water in the sink. He and his mother did the dishes.
They finished and left the kitchen. Then the monkey dragged the stepladder over to the sink. It turned the water on and did the dishes all over again.
Soon the water began to spill over the edge of the sink.
16
As soon as the splashing began, Ben came back. He turned off the water. He lifted the stopper from the sink. The water stopped overflowing. Then he got a mop and a pail.
“You’ll have to behave better than that,” he said. “You aren’t being a help at all.”
The monkey chattered at him and went into the living room. Ben got to work with the mop. Back and forth it went. He
held it over the pail and twisted it. The water soon filled the pail.
17
For a time everything was still. Ben finished mopping. Then he went to check on the monkey.
In the living room, the monkey was tying the curtains. She was having a fine time.
“That’s very neat,” said Ben. “Only I don’t think that my mother and father will like it. They like the curtains to hang nicely.”
At that moment, Ben’s father came home. “This pet is no help at all,” he said. “You’ll have to return
her.” “I was afraid of that,” said Ben. “Here we go, monkey. Back
to the pet shop.”
18
On the way back to the pet shop, Ben and the monkey stopped at a food store. The monkey chattered happily at the store’s owner.
“That’s a fine monkey you have,” said the man. “Yet you seem sad. Is something the matter?”
As Ben was telling him, the monkey got onto a high shelf. She began handing boxes to both of them.
“I’m sorry this monkey is making a mess,” said Ben. “It seems that all my pets do that.”
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“She’s not making a mess,” said the man. “I needed these boxes. This monkey will be exactly the right pet for me.”
The man went to the pet shop with Ben to buy the monkey for himself.
After that, Ben went to see the monkey every day. He came
home with plenty of boxes. Still he was sad. “It’s not like having a pet of my own,” he
said. “I’m going to rent one more pet. I’m going to try one more time.”
20
He went back to the pet shop. In a cage were some mice. They were playing on little
trapezes and ladders. One was running in a circle. Another was dragging a wagon.
“That’s Albert,” said the owner of the pet shop. “I’ll rent him,” said Ben. “He can’t make a big mess. He’s
too small for that.” As he carried Albert home, the cage swayed back and forth.
Albert went to sleep. Even after they got home, Albert didn’t stir. He didn’t move
at all. In fact, he stayed so still that Ben was afraid he was sick. “Are you all right, Albert?” he asked. He opened the cage. He was going to see if Albert was well.
21
In a flash, Albert woke. He got loose and scrambled onto a
bridge table nearby. Then he began eating cheese. “No, no, no!” cried Ben. “Some people are coming to play
bridge with my mother and father. The cheese is for them. They’re going to eat the cheese with crackers.”
He went to the kitchen to get some fresh cheese. Albert
went too. He began nibbling at some boxes and bags. Soon the boxes and bags began to leak. Rice spilled over
the edge of the shelf. It fell into a heap below.
22
“No, no, no!” cried Ben. “First I’ll clear away this mess. Then I’ll make you get back into your cage.”
He taped the holes in the boxes and bags. He used the broom. Soon the mess was cleared away.
Albert rode on the broom for a time. Then he went back into the living room to wait.
23
By this time the people had come. They were happily
playing bridge with Ben’s mother and father. They were all eating the cheese and crackers.
The cheese smelled fine. So Albert got back on the table to have some more.
“What’s that!” cried the man. He dropped his cracker. Ben’s mother leaped from her chair. They were not happy. They didn’t like Albert on the table.
“I’m afraid that you’ll have to return Albert,” Ben’s father said. Ben felt sadder than ever. He really did like Albert. He
made Albert get back into the cage. They headed for the pet shop. Ben carried the cage with one hand. He held Albert’s wagon in the other.
24
On the way they passed some workers near a long pipe.
They were trying to make a wire go into the pipe. “Is something the matter?” asked Ben. “Yes,” said one man. “We have a problem. This pipe has
two bends in it. The wire stops when it hits the first bend. We can’t make the wire go all the way in.”
“I’ll bet that Albert can,” said Ben. He tied the wire to s string and tied the string to Albert’s
wagon. Then he set Albert in one end of the pipe. Albert held the wagon with his tail.
“Go, Albert, go!” cried Ben. “Drag your wagon. It will take the string into the pipe.”
Albert went in a little way and stopped.
25
Ben went to the other end. It was black in the pipe. “Come on, Albert!” he cried. “Be brave! Don’t stop!” Everyone waited. At last Albert came to the end. He was
still bravely dragging the wagon and the string. “Hooray!” cried the workers. “We can use the string to drag
the wire. Albert has solved the problem!” They thanked Ben and gave him some money. “You’d better bring Albert here every day,” they said. “We
may need him again sometime.”
26
Ben and Albert were very happy. They didn’t go back to the
pet shop after all. They went home instead. “Albert has a job,” said Ben. He showed the money to his
father. “He was a real help to the workers. They asked him to come back every day. May I keep him?”
“Yes,” said Ben’s father. “He really is a help.” And Albert behaved himself from that day on.
27
A PET FOR BEN Book 20 to read after Lesson 38.
by Ann Hughes, M.A.
Ben had never had a pet. “Pets are no help,” said his father. “All they do is make a
mess.” “If I find a pet that is a help, may I keep it?” ask Ben. “Yes, said his father, “if it’s really a help.” Ben began to make plans. “I might get that setter,” he said. “Setters don’t help,” said his father. “They track in dirt and
they yelp at people.” “Then I might get a cat,” said Ben. “Cats don’t help,” said his father. “They scratch things.
Besides, they’re lazy.” “Well,” said Ben, “I like fish.” “Fish don’t help,” said his father. “All they do is swim and eat.
You have to keep the water in the bowl clean. It’s a lot of work for nothing.”
Ben went into the pet shop. He spoke to its owner. “Do you have pets that help?” he asked. “Different pets help in different ways,” said the woman. “Rent
a pet and see. If it doesn’t help, you can bring it back and rent a different one.”.
“All right,” said Ben. “What’s that bird like?” “This bird can speak,” said the woman. “COME IN!” said the bird. “HAVE SOME CAKE! HAVE
SOME CAKE! HAVE SOME CAKE!” “It speaks very clearly,” said Ben. “I’ll rent it. Maybe I can
teach it to say other things too.”
28
The bird was glad to go home with Ben. It liked Ben’s living room and flew from one side to the other.
It flapped its wings and made a big breeze. Papers blew from the desk. “Please don’t make a mess,” said Ben. He grabbed all the
papers and returned them to the desk. “I’ll get something heavy,” said Ben, “and set it on the
papers. Then they won’t fly all over.” As soon as Ben had left, the bird flew to the table. It began
picking up shiny dimes and dropping them in Ben’s cap. Then the bell rang. The girl who delivered their newspapers
came in to give Ben’s mother a paper. “This is odd,” Ben’s mother said. “I can’t find the money for
the paper. I left it right here on this table.” “Pay me next week,” said the girl. “Wait!” cried Ben, seeing the dimes in his cap. He ran after
the girl and paid her. Ben scolded the bird. “No more tricks!” he said. “If you don’t behave yourself, my
father will make me take you back to the pet shop. He’ll let me keep only a pet that will help. You aren’t helping.”
Ben’s mother carried something into the living room. “I baked this cake for your father’s birthday today,” she said. “COME IN!” said the bird very clearly. “HAVE SOME CAKE!
HAVE SOME CAKE! HAVE SOME CAKE! The window was open. Some children were nearby. They
were able to hear every word the bird said. The children came into Ben’s house. They said, “Thank you. We’ll be glad to have some cake.”
They each had a piece of cake. They ate all the cake.
Then Ben’s father came home. The cake plate was empty.
29
“I’m afraid that this bird is no help,” he said. “It gave away my birthday cake!”
“All right,” said Ben sadly. “I’ll take it back to the pet shop.” On the way Ben and the bird stopped at the home of a
retired woman. “That’s a fine bird you have,” she said. “Yet you seem sad. Is
something the matte?” Ben said, “I’d like a pet. My father says that the pet has to
help. So I tried this bird. It made a mess. It gave away my father’s birthday cake. I’m taking it back to the pet store.”
“That’s too bad,” she said. “I baked a cake today too. Have a slice. It may make you feel better.”
“COME IN!” said the bird clearly.” “HAVE SOME CAKE!
HAVE SOME CAKE! HAVE SOME CAKE!” Some children were nearby. They were able to hear the
bird. They came in. “Thank you,” they said. “We’ll be glad to have some cake.” The woman gave them each a piece of cake. They ate all
the cake. “This bird plays bad tricks,” said Ben. “I’m sorry they ate all
your cake.” “That wasn’t a bad trick,” said the retired woman. “I liked it.
I’m lonely, and I like to have children come in. This bird will be exactly right for me.”
She went to the pet shop with Ben to buy the bird for herself. After that, Ben went to see the bird every day. The retired
woman had plenty of cake ready. She liked to see Ben eat the cake and drink a glass of milk.
Even so, Ben was sad. “It’s not like having a pet of my own,” he said. “I think I’ll try another pet.”
30
He went back to the pet shop. “This monkey can hang by her tail,” said the owner. “She
can do fifty other tricks too.” Chattering happily, the monkey got onto a high shelf. It
began handing boxes of birdseed to Ben. “That’s a fine trick,” said Ben. “I’ll rent the monkey. She
might be able to help at home.” The monkey was glad to go home with Ben. At Ben’s home, they went into the kitchen. The monkey got
onto a high shelf. She began handing all the boxes to Ben, one after another.
“No, no, no,” said Ben, “not those boxes.” Ben got a stepladder right away. He set the boxes back on
the shelf very fast. After he finished, his mother came in. “This pet is doing very well,” she said. “No mess yet, Ben.
The monkey may be the pet you are looking for. I hope she will be a help.”
The monkey sat on the stepladder as Ben ran water in the
sink. He and his mother did the dishes. They finished and left the kitchen. Then the monkey
dragged the stepladder over to the sink. It turned the water on and did the dishes all over again.
Soon the water began to spill over the edge of the sink. As soon as the splashing began, Ben came back. He turned
off the water. He lifted the stopper from the sink. The water stopped overflowing. Then he got a mop and a pail.
“You’ll have to behave better than that,” he said. “You aren’t being a help at all.”
The monkey chattered at him and went into the living room. Ben got to work with the mop. Back and forth it went. He
held it over the pail and twisted it. The water soon filled the pail.
31
For a time everything was still. Ben finished mopping. Then
he went to check on the monkey. In the living room, the monkey was tying the curtains. She
was having a fine time. “That’s very neat,” said Ben. “Only I don’t think that my
mother and father will like it. They like the curtains to hang nicely.”
At that moment, Ben’s father came home. “This pet is no help at all,” he said. “You’ll have to return
her.” “I was afraid of that,” said Ben. “Here we go, monkey. Back
to the pet shop.” On the way back to the pet shop, Ben and the monkey
stopped at a food store. The monkey chattered happily at the store’s owner.
“That’s a fine monkey you have,” said the man. “Yet you seem sad. Is something the matter?”
As Ben was telling him, the monkey got onto a high shelf. She began handing boxes to both of them.
“I’m sorry this monkey is making a mess,” said Ben. “It seems that all my pets do that.”
“She’s not making a mess,” said the man. “I needed these
boxes. This monkey will be exactly the right pet for me.” The man went to the pet shop with Ben to buy the monkey
for himself. After that, Ben went to see the monkey every day. He came
home with plenty of boxes. Still he was sad. “It’s not like having a pet of my own,” he
said. “I’m going to rent one more pet. I’m going to try one more time.”
32
He went back to the pet shop. In a cage were some mice. They were playing on little
trapezes and ladders. One was running in a circle. Another was dragging a wagon.
“That’s Albert,” said the owner of the pet shop. “I’ll rent him,” said Ben. “He can’t make a big mess. He’s
too small for that.” As he carried Albert home, the cage swayed back and forth.
Albert went to sleep. Even after they got home, Albert didn’t stir. He didn’t move
at all. In fact, he stayed so still that Ben was afraid he was sick. “Are you all right, Albert?” he asked. He opened the cage. He was going to see if Albert was well. In a flash, Albert woke. He got loose and scrambled onto a
bridge table nearby. Then he began eating cheese. “No, no, no!” cried Ben. “Some people are coming to play
bridge with my mother and father. The cheese is for them. They’re going to eat the cheese with crackers.”
He went to the kitchen to get some fresh cheese. Albert
went too. He began nibbling at some boxes and bags. Soon the boxes and bags began to leak. Rice spilled over
the edge of the shelf. It fell into a heap below. “No, no, no!” cried Ben. “First I’ll clear away this mess.
Then I’ll make you get back into your cage.” He taped the holes in the boxes and bags. He used the
broom. Soon the mess was cleared away. Albert rode on the broom for a time. Then he went back into
the living room to wait.
33
By this time the people had come. They were happily playing bridge with Ben’s mother and father. They were all eating the cheese and crackers.
The cheese smelled fine. So Albert got back on the table to have some more.
“What’s that!” cried the man. He dropped his cracker. Ben’s mother leaped from her chair. They were not happy. They didn’t like Albert on the table.
“I’m afraid that you’ll have to return Albert,” Ben’s father said. Ben felt sadder than ever. He really did like Albert. He
made Albert get back into the cage. They headed for the pet shop. Ben carried the cage with one hand. He held Albert’s wagon in the other.
On the way they passed some workers near a long pipe.
They were trying to make a wire go into the pipe. “Is something the matter?” asked Ben. “Yes,” said one man. “We have a problem. This pipe has
two bends in it. The wire stops when it hits the first bend. We can’t make the wire go all the way in.”
“I’ll bet that Albert can,” said Ben. He tied the wire to s string and tied the string to Albert’s
wagon. Then he set Albert in one end of the pipe. Albert held the wagon with his tail.
“Go, Albert, go!” cried Ben. “Drag your wagon. It will take the string into the pipe.”
Albert went in a little way and stopped. Ben went to the other end. It was black in the pipe. “Come on, Albert!” he cried. “Be brave! Don’t stop!” Everyone waited. At last Albert came to the end. He was
still bravely dragging the wagon and the string.
34
“Hooray!” cried the workers. “We can use the string to drag the wire. Albert has solved the problem!”
They thanked Ben and gave him some money. “You’d better bring Albert here every day,” they said. “We
may need him again sometime.” Ben and Albert were very happy. They didn’t go back to the
pet shop after all. They went home instead. “Albert has a job,” said Ben. He showed the money to his
father. “He was a real help to the workers. They asked him to come back every day. May I keep him?”
“Yes,” said Ben’s father. “He really is a help.” And Albert behaved himself from that day on.